Black-and-white Becard
Pachyramphus albogriseus
Small becard occurring from Venezuela to Peru, mainly on the east slope of the Andes, and disjunctly in Costa Rica and Panama. Mostly found in foothills, in middle to upper levels of humid montane forest. Male is mostly gray with bold white edges on the wing feathers and a black cap with pale spectacles. Compare with White-winged Becard, which has a black back and dark lores. Female is very different; look for her brown cap bordered with black, white spectacles, pale yellowish belly, and tawny edges on wing feathers. Extremely similar to Cryptic Becard, with potential range overlap on the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. Male Black-and-white shows a broader upper wingbar, darker lores, a blacker upperside of the tail, and stouter bill than Cryptic. Female Black-and-white has a brighter rufous crown with a broader black border. These features may all be difficult or impossible to assess in the field; some birds are best left unidentified. Also note voice: song a slow series of one or several sweet downslurred whistles followed by an upslurred whistle, often repeated two or three times. Cryptic’s song is faster, with shorter notes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pachyramphus albogriseus
- Authority
- Sclater, PL, 1857
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tityridae
- Genus
- Pachyramphus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Erect-crested Penguin
Eudyptes sclateri
Medium-sized crested penguin, endemic to New Zealand. Note the distinct broad yellow eyebrow rising over the eye to form a stiff brush-like crest. Also look for pale blue skin at the base of the bill. A subantarctic breeder, with main colonies on Bounty and Antipodes Islands. Disperses widely at the end of breeding season. A small number molt on the east coast of the North and South Islands in the fall. Forms small groups at sea. Voice a low-pitched booming bray. Distinguished from Snares and Fiordland Penguins by pale white-blue skin at bill base and less “V-shaped” crest when seen head-on.
Sula Hanging-Parrot
Loriculus sclateri
A tiny stub-tailed green parrot with a golden-bronze back, a narrow red throat, a bright red rump, and a small red shoulder patch. Juveniles are duller and more poorly marked. Singles or small groups occur within treetops of forest and nearby secondary growth areas in the lowlands. No other tiny green, short-tailed parrot occurs within its limited range in the Sula and Banggai islands. Very high-pitched calls include “zeet-weet-wit,” rising in pitch at the end. Sometimes birds only utter the first two notes or single “zeet” notes.
Van Hasselt's Sunbird
Leptocoma brasiliana
Attractive medium-sized sunbird of lowland forests, from coastal scrub forests to inland evergreen forests. Male is black with an iridescent pink-red throat, a red belly, and a glistening blue-green crown. Female is extensively yellowish with a pale vent and a thin dark line through the eye. Purple-throated Sunbird is essentially identical, but ranges do not overlap. Female Plain-throated Sunbird can be similar, but is straighter-billed, with a darker head, and a faint pale ring around the eye. Song, often given from an exposed perch, consists of squeaky rising whistles and chip notes.
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